A ba'al tshuvah (newly observant) house painter was meeting with his Rebbe during the Days of Awe, and wondering how he could correct his previous misdeeds.

"Rebbe, I've done awful things as a painter. I've done sloppy jobs, used inferior quality paints and lied about it, I cut my paints with turpentine, and cut corners. How can I make up for these evil deeds that I've committed in a previous life?"

The Rebbe thought for a while, looked at the painter and then pronounced: "Repaint, Repaint, and thin no more."